Fated
by missdramallama
Summary: Bella, after hearing her parents story, knows its fate that she will one day be with Edward. She just needs to convince him too. But, when you're fifteen you have forever. Hopefully, he can see it just as clear. Renee/Charlie Opening AU AH M for later


**Some believe in fate. Some believe in choice. Some believe in love. Which do you believe?**

Renee placed her hand on her swollen belly and looked around for the father. The contractions were getting closer and the room seemed to be getting darker. Ever since she was a child she never grasped pain with a firm hand. Rather, Renee sobbed until she was able to sleep it off. When she saw the horrid double pink line on her Dollar Tree pregnancy test she knew she would sleep through every child she brought into this world. Of course, that wasn't her first thought. She was a young, single woman. A man was nowhere to be found in her mess of a life. To say the least: Renee was the furthest thing from ready to be a mother.

Working the night shift at the local Forks Diner was not the life Renee had once dreamed. She had wanted to be an actress. Go to New York City with nothing but a twenty in her pocket and be discovered the next day. However, life has a funny way of saying "no." The night before she was planning to toss her faded yellow duffel bag and never look back she got the call that changed it all.

"Renny?" a raspy voice breathed through the telephone. Following a deep sob came the words that halted all plans for Renee: "There was an accident."

A drunk driver they said. Only one fatality they said. Only one ambulance needed they said. Mom, Renee said. At 11:56 p.m., six hours before Renee was set to begin her life a man, who was never caught, decided to drunkenly stumble to his car and perform one of the nastiest hit and runs the Forks Police Department had ever seen.

Years later Renee was still in Forks working the same minimum wage job she had when she was in high school. This time the lousy tips decided if Renee could afford heat not booze for the next party. She floated through the days with little talking and a seldom smile. Those who came back to visit their family and friends always stopped by the diner to check in on Renee. First, Renee always noticed their searching eyes. When their eyes had scanned the room several times they recognized her. Gone was her infectious smile and radiant personality. Renee became the shell of what she used to be. Without her mother and her dreams Renee stayed behind to care for her father and watch the years go by until she died. Yes, her plan was little to be desired but she did not see it as all bad. She was able to watch her father and make sure he got the most out of his life and Renee was able to watch her old friends come back with interesting tales of their lives outside of the small, rainy town of Forks. Renee smiled when her last customer left and wept when she returned home to her small studio apartment.

The girl that was raring to go and be on Broadway was dead. Renee often feared that she was gone forever without any hope of her return. Renee tried to have fun when she saw fit. Which is how she ended up at the Dollar Tree that fateful day, approximately four years after her mother's death.

"I can't be pregnant, Amber. I just can't," Renee had stammered into her phone. "I can barely afford the rent let alone a fucking child. I _cannot_ be pregnant. I won't allow it."

Amber, a friend from the diner, was at a lost. She knew that Renee had one of the hardest lives in the diner. But, she didn't know what to say. How could she have told her friend that if God wanted that baby to be born than he or she would be no matter what? Yes, it was a silly thought but, Amber liked to imagine that any baby given up before its life was to begin was born again eventually. Renee, Amber believed, to deserve some happiness and that this baby was it; no matter the circumstance that baby was Renee's to have. "Renee, just take the damn test and if you see the OK come on over and I'll give you some baby clothes."

Renee sighed and nodded, "Alright, Amber. I'll be over in ten minutes." While Amber had been looking for the right words to say Renee had already gone and found the double pink lines to be mocking her very existence.

Which brings me full circle; Renee chuckled to herself before the next contraction came through. Gritting her teeth Renee sobbed the last contraction out. "Nurse…" she whimpered. Originally deciding to birth naturally was now plan Z. Renee wanted to never remember this experience for as long as she lived. Because face it, Renee thought, now I have a reason to live. With a smile Renee let her world fade to black.

Leaning against the wall was the young officer who was called to the home of Amber Doe where her friend, Renee Higginbotham, had fainted and was believed to be having some sort of attack or as Miss Doe decided to name it "a fit from the Devil." Naturally, the officer was allowed to respond to this sort of call because it didn't seem to require a seasoned officer. Even though the call was hours ago the officer could not tear himself away from the young woman in the next room. He had not recognized her from high school or anywhere in particular but held the feeling that there was something to her. What exactly that was had the young officer slumped against the maternity ward's wall waiting for an answer.

When Renee awoke the next morning an elderly nurse was tending to the machine at Renee's bedside. "Hello, dear. How are you feeling?" The woman croaked amicably. Renee smiled and looked around for a baby. She remembered that pregnancy usually led to a baby and looked around nervously. "She's in the other room." The nurse smiled and looked toward the doorway.

As if on cue another woman walked through the door cradling a small pink bundle. "Très bella," the woman cooed affectionately. "Très bella bébé…" Handing her the newborn baby, the nurse smiled at the young mother and wished, as she did with every baby, that she will grow up to be happy.

Renee smiled at the tiny face of her baby girl and snapped her head back up to look at the nurse. "What did you say?" The nurse smiled and nodded towards the unnamed baby.

"She is very beautiful. Très bella bébé means very beautiful baby. You love her alright, Momma?" Renee nods and kisses the baby tenderly on the forehead.

"Bella," she tested out the word carefully. "My Isabella. My bella baby."

**Part 2**

Charles "Charlie" Swan could not stop thinking about her. He tried to tell his Billy that even convulsing in pain on the ground she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Billy called him a freak and hung up the phone. Dejected Charlie slumps into his favorite chair in front of the television set and starts to watch some sort of sports game that was neither interesting nor distracting. He picks up the case for Miss Renee Higginbotham. Inside the case was all the information he needed to become her perfect stalker. A phone number, place of employment, and address. Everything else was just a bonus. She wasn't married but he personally knew she had a child. Everything about this woman fascinated him as he fingered through the file. Maybe a check up on his case would be more than professional? Maybe expected seeing as he is a rookie?

Not one to mull over things, Charlie grabbed his keys and wrote down the woman's apartment number before he thought better of it. After a few miles Charlie decided that this was a crazy, foolish, and asinine choice. But, as he was just about to turn around he saw a site so wonderful it could make a blind man see.

Bent over a rickety stroller stood Miss Higginbotham wearing sweat pants. When did sweat pants become so tight? Charlie thought abashedly before pulling up beside her. His presence caused her to look up and smile politely. "Hello, Officer…what can I do for you?"

"Officer Swan," Charlie held out his hand awkwardly and watching Renee stare at it oddly before taking a quick hold of it. The moment took about half a second but Charlie was already on cloud nine. "I was just coming by to make sure that everything is up to par after your episode." He spoke with what he hoped was real authority. Renee raised her eyebrows slightly and smirked. When he last saw her she looked like she was on Death's doorstep. Today, however, there was a noticeable change in her look. Her eyes were sparkling and her smile was radiating pure life.

"Shouldn't the hospital be the one checking up on me, Officer? I mean, there was no criminal action except me pushing a six pound human through my system." Renee gestured to the smallest baby he had ever seen. "I mean, if you want to take me I would suggest in the back seat of your car." Renee winked and flipped her hair.

Blanching, Charlie stammered out a slow, "Excuse me, ma'am?"

"You heard me; if you want to take me in I suggest you put a car seat in the back seat of your car." Renee was not flirting. She was defending her baby. Where was his mind these days?

"Ma'am, I am sorry to be disrespectful. If you want to take this up with my superiors I can give you a number to call…" Charlie began walking back to his car. This was not a smart idea, he chastised himself.

Renee pushed her stroller in front of his car to prevent him leaving. "The only number I want is yours, Officer Swan."

The happy couple sauntered to their favorite restaurant with the young man holding a young child to his chest. At one and half years old, Isabella was becoming to look more and more like her mother with each passing day. She had her auburn hair and pale skin. Her facial features matched her mother's boyfriend's more than anything which was a funny tidbit the couple stumbled upon one drunken night when looking at baby pictures. Isabella had not come to the age to understand much and considered Officer Charles to be her father. He was around just as much as anyone else's daddy and he seemed to love her all the same and vice versa.

Charlie and Renee had started off in rocky waters in their relationship. Renee the struggling single mother and the lovesick rookie cop Charlie had more than their share of fights when it came to the welfare of the baby. Renee tried to remind herself that Charlie was not the father but the more she fell in love with him she decided he was just as good as any biological father. Charlie moved in after much begging from Renee and paid rent with just as much fervor.

"Renee, I love you and Isabella but I'm not going to move in here as your boyfriend. I am moving in here as a roommate. Yes, I am still remaining the boyfriend but, I am not going to sponge off you like some homeless man with a sex addiction."

Renee, who had been baking cupcakes, waved her wooden spoon at him in frustration, "But, I love you and don't think you should have to pay rent. It's just not right." Little did she remember the wooden spoon had just come from the batter and had successfully shot a clump of batter at Charlie's new uniform. "Oh! Charlie! Come here! I'll get that!" Renee grabbed a towel from the counter and charged at Charlie.

Charlie saw where this was going and tried to dodge the towel doused in flour. "Renee! I'll move in without paying if you just stop ruining my uniform!" Renee stopped and looked down at the towel and laughed.

"You can pay rent if I can pay for the dry cleaning?" Renee smiled weakly.

"Compromise?" They said in unison and laughed.

**Part 3**

The day Charlie proposed was one he hoped to forget. He has stumbled. He had said Rachel instead of Renee. He didn't even know a Rachel. Charlie even lost Isabella.

"Isabella?" Charlie whispered into his girlfriend's bedroom. "Bella-baby, if you're in there just give me a big girl laugh okay?" Charlie listened intently and sighed. Isabella had just turned three and decided her favorite game was Hide-N-Seek. Normally, Charlie was all game for playing with his girl but today was not the best day. After three years of courting and fighting, Charlie finally got Renee into wedding fever. A year ago when Charlie first brought up the idea of marriage Renee grabbed Isabella and went to her mother's for a week. When she came back, slightly suntanned and holding a new love of baseball, Renee had decided they did not need marriage. They had the new house, purchased with a combined income, and a baby. Sure, Isabella wasn't Charlie's but he had been there for her every step of the way from infanthood to toddlerhood. Renee didn't see the need to put their love on paper. She preferred to put it in their bed. Charlie usually loved Renee's carefree style to life and normally shrugged it off and moved on. However, this was the one thing he just couldn't stand to lose. He loved Renee more each day and with each breath he took. To be able to point at her from across a crowded room and say "That's my wife," to a bunch of jealous horny officers just made him grin from ear to ear. Charlie Swan wanted to take claim over what he considered the most precious human on earth.

"Charlie, I'm home!" Renee called through the house. Charlie scanned the bedroom one last time for his little girl but came up blind. Renee slid her cool hands over his eyes and whispered seductively, "Guess who?"

"Rachel?" Charlie quipped and received a small smack to the head. Renee dropped her bag on the floor and walked to the dining room.

"Charlie, what is this?" Renee came back holding a champagne glass with a simple diamond engagement ring inside. Charlie had been so distracted with the missing child he had forgotten to remove the romance from the room. "Are your proposing?" Renee asked quietly. Her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. He smiled and nodded. Attempting to take a step toward the love of his life, Charlie stumbled. Looking down he saw Isabella under the table, with a smile she held her index finger over her small mouth.

"Renee, I love you. I love Isabella. I know you say it's just a piece of paper but it's more than that to me. It's the ability to say, 'That's my wife,' and feel nothing but pride that a woman as amazing as you decided to put on the old shackle and grow old with me. So, if you would please say yes to being my wife I can promise you nothing but pride, love, and enough free FPD pens to last a lifetime."

With an offer like that Renee was more than inclined to say yes. That simple word led her down the aisle where the loves of her life waited for her. Isabella was finally four by the time the ceremony took place and was under the impression she should be the flower girl. Charlie was allergic to most flowers so Isabella spent the most of the ceremony throwing around paper flowers and every now and then saying "achoo," as she had seen her "Daddy" do more than once.

They were finally a family. Renee had her happy ending and Charlie captured the love of his life. Isabella on the other hand was just beginning her adventure.

**Thanks for reading :) this is meant to be an Bella/Edward story but I don't think anyone will like this enough so I might just make it a stinky one shot. Let me know what you think, please and thanks!**

~Em


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